The San Francisco 49ers lost last Sunday to the inferior St. Louis Rams, and young quarterback Colin Kaepernick didn't dazzle. Now the critics, the skeptics and the media elite are out in full force. They are wondering whether Niners coach Jim Harbaugh has control, whether he made the right decision in removing veteran signal-caller Alex Smith from the lineup. They whisper about the possibility that Harbaugh might cost his team a chance at winning the Super Bowl.

Get real.

The 49ers have as good a chance as any NFL squad to capture a title. The main reason why? Jim Harbaugh. He's the smartest guy in the room. Just ask him.

Jim Harbaugh through the years

Yes, the Niners stumbled in St. Louis. The Rams also got up for a home game against their NFC West rivals. Their defensive line played well. Their magical rookie kicker booted another big one to win it.

Of Kaepernick's three starts this season, Sunday's was his worst. Yet, after the game, Harbaugh praised him effusively, stressing Kaepernick's knack for "handling himself well" and "giving the team the best opportunity to win."

The old football adage holds that "if you have two quarterbacks, you have none," but Harbaugh actually believes he has two quarterbacks. And there's a lot of truth to that notion.

Kaepernick provides the pop and sizzle, the ability to stretch a defense and take off and run. Let's not minimize the 84 yards Kaepernick gained on the ground Sunday, which included a highlight-reel-worthy scamper of 50 yards. Kaepernick was great in the first two starts of his career, against the Bears and New Orleans Saints. Harbaugh picked Kaepernick in the second round of his first draft as Niners coach for a reason.

Meanwhile Smith, the first overall draft pick in 2005, finally reached his potential and became a great (I'm not just throwing that word around) player in 2011 under Harbaugh. He led the Niners to the NFC title game after beating Drew Brees and the Saints in the playoffs. This season, he beat Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

Smith is angry. And he should be. He was knocked out of a game because of a concussion and lost his job because the backup dominated in his absence.

Anyone who's been reading my columns and listening to my radio show on a regular basis knows I'm a gigantic Alex Smith fan. But I thought keeping Kaepernick in after his performance against the Bears was logical.

As a former NFL quarterback, Harbaugh must be able to appreciate Smith's frustration. Harbaugh was involved in quarterback controversies as a player with the Chicago Bears.

But here's the genius of the entire thing. Harbaugh has the locker room. The players play for him. He keeps the conversation on Jim Harbaugh. By lying, ranting, mocking, he wears the bulls-eye. All of the noise is about him -- always. All of the blame is on him. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

I think Kaepernick will continue to produce. He has a ton of skill. He will also, at times, look like the inexperienced player he is. And I think that if he struggles, Harbaugh won't hesitate to bring Smith back. He will say Alex is his starter. He will pump him up, and Smith will rise to the challenge.

This is nothing to Alex Smith. Smith has been through Mike Singletary's nonsense. I think the veteran will play again this year for the Niners, and he'll play well.

After that? Heck, Harbaugh might even go back to Kaepernick.

As George said when driving the parents of his deceased wife, Susan, to the "home" he'd lied about leasing in the Hamptons: "You wanna get nuts? Come on. Let's get nuts!"

Here's a fact: The Kaepernick-led Niners are the most complete and well-rounded team in the NFC.

Here's another fact: The Smith-led Niners would also be the most complete and well-rounded team in the NFC.

In another episode of Seinfeld, George turns his life around by doing the opposite of what his gut is telling him to do.

Like George, Harbaugh is doing the opposite of what most NFL coaches would do. It's an approach he can take all the way to the Super Bowl.